Action toy



Oct. 21, 1941 1 H. G. FISHER ACTION TOY Filed Nov. 9, 1940 F104. 2 as Patented Oct. 21 1941 5 UNITED PATENT OFFICE ACTION 'roY' fitness G. Fisher, East mat, N. Y. Application Nevember 9, 1940, Serial No. 365,078

' 2 setting. ,(cl. 46-111) invention relates to ati oii toys, aild more particularly to toys of the sound producing type. l one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved type of bellows operated sound pro-"- e reifig toy device. Another object of the invert tion is to provide an im roved form of toy bellows attiiating in'e'chanism'. Another object is to pro' vi'de' an improved action toy mechanism including a fluid displacing bellows and novel actuating mechanism therefor whereby the fluid displacing capacity er the bellows device is more effi'cintly utilized and th'pliable material portions or the bellows device are subject to' reduced distorting and wearing stresses. other objects and advan= tages of the invention will appear from the spci' fiCEtiOil herein.

in the drawing: F Fig.1 is a bottom plan of a toy of'th'e" invehtionj Fig. 2 is a view partly in side'ele'vation and partly in longitudinal vertical section thereofand Fig; 3 is a perspective of disassembled elements bf th'e actuating mechanism thereof.

- The invention is exemplified by the drawing as comprising a toy base structure of box-like form fabricated of side plates lc'; end plates 12; and a top late M. The base tructure ismo'untedupon traction wheels for rollingeontact with a sup: orting surface, and to this end the toy is mus: t r'atea as including a pair of tracti'or'i wheels' l6 mounted u on an axle l8 rotatabiy tamed by the side plates l and a second pair of traction wheels mounted upon an axle 22 which is rotatably carried by the side plates at the opposite end of the toy base.

The axle 22 is formed with an oifset crank portion 24 intermediately of its ends. 'A lever 25 in the general form of a U shaped bent wire, or the like, is arranged so that the opposite arm por tions 26 and 21 thereof straddle the crank portion 24 of the axle 22. The arm portions of the lever terminate at their free ends in laterally bent and oppositely directed finger portions 28 for pivotal engagement within apertured portions 30 of the side plates II]. The natural resiliency of the material of the lever member permits it to be elastically deformed so that the finger portions 28 may be sprung toward one another so that the lever is movable within the interior of the side plate portion of the base structure and adapted to spring apart when released into journaled engagement within the apertured portions 30 of the side plates I0 when brought into registry therewith.

The lever member 25 is formed adjacent its section 32 and a longitudinally extending bent end portion 34 therebeyond. The lever 25 is 0peratively connectedto abellows designated generally by the numeral 35 -by'means of a bearing plate 35 having a bearing-portion 38 engaging the transverse section 32' of the lever 25 in freely rotatablerelation 'thereunderi The bearing plate 36 is fixed'to theunder surface of a bottom plate of the bellows 35 b'y means of a screw 42 in such manner that the bearing, connection of the lever portion 32 and the bottom plate is at one side 'of center of the bottompla'te'; The bellows 35 further comprises a top plate :44 and a pliable side wall element 46 formedof fabric or the" like 'connecting the top and bottom plates thereof in fluid tight relation. ,The top plate? is a rtured atdliiand a vibration reedd'evicey48 is mounted upon the toy base structure in communication with the bellows aperture 46 in such manner that reciprocation of the bottom plate 4!! taiis'sthe bellows to alternately contract and expan as illustrated in'Fig; 2 for corresponding eii'eiiisiefi and intake" ef air through the reedd= vice 48 so" as to 'actiiate-the-latter to produce the desired sound eifects. 1' Particular attention is called to the s'id View form of lever member 25', and it is noted that the lever is formed that when" the bellows 35 tsZexp' ded solidllinfposition of Fig. 2 m' e aaettioa 32 '3 B tends to atew te of H t t i' l t w' a ead, 6f. htsi deftherecf' but the armportion 266i the. jeviit25coopera es tvith the transverse sec-f 3'2 of'the lever to maintain thebottom 'plajte 40 of the bellows in a substantially horizontal attitude. Also, the extending end portion 34 of the lever 25 slopes downwardly away from the transverse section 32 thereof (in side view) so as to avoid interference with upward lifting movements of the lever 25 relative to the bellows bottom plate 4!), as to the broken line position illustrated in Fig. 2. However, the outer end portion 34 provides a supporting means in combination with the transverse section 32 of the lever to support the bottom plate 40 in substantially horizontal attitude when the bearing connection 3238 presses upwardly against the left side of the bottom plate as illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 2 at the contracted position of the bellows device. Hence, the bottom plate 4!! is at all times supported in an attitude substantially parallel to" that of the top plate 44, and is thereby prevented from becoming twisted about the bearing conclosed. end portion with a transversely disposed nection with the lever member into such a position as would interfere with actuation of the bellows.

It will be understood that as the axle 22 rotates in accord with rolling movement of the toy across a supporting surface, the crank portion 24 of the axle will alternately bear upwardly against the arm 26 of the lever 25 and downwardly against the arm 21 thereof so as to cause the bottom plate 48 of the bellows to be reciprocated as illustrated and described hereinabove. The lever member 25 thus provides a novel mechanical device of simplified form in conjunction with the crank axle and the bellows whereby the bottom plate 49 of the bellows is at all times maintained substantially parallel to the top plate 44 thereof and the full air displacement capacity of the bellows is utilizable. Also, it will be very apparent that by reason of this novel action of the lever member the pliable side wall material of the bellows device will be relieved of severe distortion and other wearing stresses such as would otherwise be im-. posed thereon.

The lever 25 is of such form as to be relatively inexpensively manufactured by means of modern wire shaping processes, and the entire toy mechanism is adapted to be assembled in connection with manufacture of the toy by means of relatively few and simple assembly operations. Hence, the invention provides marked advantages from the standpoint of manufacture of the toy and from the standpoint of the operation thereof. It will be understood that in view of the specific traction wheel driving arrangement illustrated by the drawing any other suitable means for rotating the axle 22 may be employed within the concept of the invention, and that in external appearance the toy may take any desired form wherein sound effects are required.

Although only one'form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an action toy, a bellows having opposed relatively movable portions, a lever operatively associated with one of saidportions for moving the latter relative to the other of said portions, said lever having spaced abutmentportions for bearing against said movable portion and a bearing portion disposed intermediately of said abutment portions and pivotally connected to said movable member.

2. In an action toy, a bellows having opposed relatively movable portions, a lever operatively associated with one of said portions for moving the latter relative to the other of said portions, said lever having an abutment portion for bearing against said movable member and an adjacent bearing portion pivotally connected to said movable member and a second abutment portion disposed in substantially diametrically opposed relation with respect to said first mentioned abutment portion and said bearing portion but offset from the plane thereof whereby said movable member is adapted to rock upon said bearing portion between limits of movement defined by said abutment portions.

3. In an action toy, a bellows having opposed relatively movable portions, a lever operatively associated with one of said portions for moving the latter relative to the other of said portions, said lever comprising an elongate member having an abutment portion extending adjacent the outer surface of said movable member and another portion connected in pivotable relation with said movable member at approximately its mid section and a second abutment portion extending therebeyond and inclined away from said movable member so as to be disposed angularly with respect to said first mentioned abutment portion.

4. In an action toy, a bellows having a rigid portion movable relative to another rigid portion thereof to provide bellows action, a lever operatively associated with said bellows movable por-j tion for actuating the latter to provide the bellows action, and means associated with said lever adapted to automatically guide said movable portion so as to remain substantially parallel to said other rigid portion at all times during said bellows action.

5. In an action toy, in combination, a rotatable axle having a laterally ofiset crank portion, and a crank motion transmitting lever in the form of a bent wire having a U shaped central body portion with substantially parallel leg portions terminating at their free ends in oppositely directed laterally bent end portions, one of said leg portions being bent transversely intermediately of its ends, said lever being arranged relative to said axle crank portion in such manner that said leg portions straddle said. axle crank portion.

HERMAN G. FISHER. 

